Vending-machine.



uNrrEnsrArEs PATENT OFFICE.

THEODQRE BHTERTELING, OF DETROIT, MICHIG-ALT, ASSIGNOR TO LION MACHINE .COMPANYMOF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

VENDING-MACI-IINE.

f Specification of` Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

. v Application led April 21, 191,1, Serial No.;622,1453.- Renewed March 16, 1912. Serial N o. 684,221.

To allfwhom 'it may concern:

. Be it known that I, THEoDoRn B. ATERTR- LING, a citizen'TV of the United States, residing at Detroit, in thev county of Wayne and 5 State ofl Michigan, have invented-certain signed and` adapted for use as a vending machine vfor matches put v up in penny size?? match boxes.

The yprimary vobject of the invention is to provide a generally improved vending machine' of exceedingly simple, cheap, dura-Y ble, andfeiicient construction,r better adapt- -ed to its `intended purposes than any other device of the same classwith; which I am acquainted.

With ther-above mentionedand other ob- .Referring to the drawings, forming al l part of this specification, Figure l, is 'a perlspectivervlewv of a..y vending machine constructed in f accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2, asimilar view, with the front plate Y and delivery hoodremoved for the purpose of clearer illustration ofl the parts.f Fig. 3, an enlarged cross sectional viewv ofthe manually-.Operated rotatable shaft showing the construction and--arrangement of the cam and ratchethead, together with the .coinl engaging-arms carried` by said shaft.` Fig. 4, any enlarged detail view of the face plate and the coin yactuated plunger member' illustratingthe arrangement and relative position'ofthe parts during the passing' ofthe coin'or penny. Similar numeralsl of- 'reference designate like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

The improved vendingmachine comprises a casing l,-prefer`ably of rectangular form andfsupported-upona base 2,r provided with a receivingy trough-or channel 29', a-t the front. ,The box or casing l, is provided at vending machines, -and is primarily deits front with al removable face plate or wall 3, said face plate or wall being open at its .lower portion for the reception and discharge of the match boxes and provided with a box delivery hood or chute 4, extending over the delivery opening and above the plane of the box receiving trough or channel 2a. The removable plate 3, is adapted to be suitably secured within the casing 1, and may be locked therein by means of a suitable lock 5.

As a means for suitably storing and feedying the contained match boxes 6, whereby a `slngle match box will be engaged and delivered by the delivery device during ,each actuation or operation through the medium of a coin andthe coin actuated device as hereinafter described, a plurality of box containing partitions 7, are provided within the casing,rsaid partitions being provided with vertically arranged box retaining flanges 7a, at their front, and box supporting flanges 8, at their bottom. .The box supportingflanges 8, are adapted to carry the tier of superposed match boxes, andas a means for providing means vfor the delivery of the lowermost box in the tier, said box supporting iianges 8, are spaced apart to form Y, an intermediate slot 8a extending from front to rear and the box retaining flanges terminate a suflicient distance above the front ends of the box supporting flanges to form an opening corresponding in form and size to the formandsize of the box to be delivered, and through which opening the box isradapted to be ejected as hereinafter described.

As a means for successively engaging and ejecting thelowermost box in each tier supported between the respective partitions 7 a rotatable shaft 9, is mounted inthe casing below the partitions', said shaft being providedwith a pluralityA of spi'rallyarranged box engaging arms l0, said arms being adaptedwhen the rotatable shaft is manually operated to successively engage and-ejectr the lowermost box in the respec- Vtivefoverhanging tier by coming in contactv with the rear end' of said box, andejecting the same, through the opening in front by passing-through the respective slot 8, above,

the box when so ejected being adapted tov be deflected by the hood 4, and delivered into the receiving trough 2a.

The rotatable shaft is adapted to be manually operated by means of an oper ating lnob 11, at one side of the casing, and as a means for preventing the vactive or operative rotation of the latter except through the medium of a coin, a coin chute 12, is arranged within the casing, said coin chute extending from a coin slot 13, and terminating at its bo-ttom in a face plate 14, said Vtace plate being provided with a vertical arm receiving slot 15, and a coin guide member 16, at one side of said slot and offset from the face plate to correspond with the thickness of the coin.

The coin device comprises a coin actuated plunger member 17, consisting, in the present instance, in a plate provided with a nose or projection 17a, normally extending across the arm receiving slot 15, and a coin receiving beveled or wedge-shaped portion 17h, adapted to initially receive the coin 18, and support the same in engagement with the coin guide member 16, as the coin falls from the chute 12, above, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 2, of the drawings.

"As a means for holding the coin device or plunger member in proper position and enabling the same' to be operated only through the passage of the coin, said plunger member is provided with a main slot 19, and a lateral or branch slot 19a, said plate or plunger member 17, being supported by means of guide pins or screws 20, on which the slots 19, and 19, are adapted to be slidably mounted, and as a means for resiliently holding the plunger member 17, whereby the same may assume the position shown in Fig. 4, during the passing of the coin, and whereby when the coin has passed the plate or plunger member 17, will be returned to its normal position indicated in Fig.` 2, coiled springs 21, are secured at opposite corners of the plate or plunger member 17, and connected to pins 22, on the face plate 14, and coin guide member 16.

As a means for permitting the manual operation of the rotatable shaft 9, through the medium of the knob 11, and the downward passage of the coin through the operation of the coin device as above described, a plurality of coin engaging arms 23, are provided at one end of the shaft 9, said arms being arranged in alinement with each other at the rear of the slot 15, and being adapted to be successively rotated and passed out through the slot 15, whereby to initially engage the coin and press the same downward as indicated in Figs. 2, and 4, and as a means for normally holding the shaft in its neutral position, as well as preventing the opposite or rearward movement of the same, a cam and ratchet head 24, is provided (see Fig. 3,) said head being provided with ratchet toothed portions 24, and intermediate recessed portions 24h, adapted to be brought into coperative relation with a pivotally mounted dog or pawl member 25, said pivotally mounted dog 25, being mounted on a suitable support 26, and resiliently held in engagement with the parts 24, and 24", during the rotation of the shaft 9, by means of a spring 27.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,q

1. A vending machine, comprising a face plate provided with a vertical slot, a coin chute adapted to discharge a coin in front of said slot, a plunger member provided with a projection extending in front of said slot and a coin receiving wedge-shaped portion at the side thereof said plunge-1' member being also provided with a main and lateral slot, guide pins carried by said face plate and extending into said main and lateral slots, springs for holding said plunger in its normal position, and a rotatable shaft provided with arms adapted to be projected through the vertical slot in said face plate in coperative relation to said plunger member and coin chute.

2. A vending machine, comprising a casing, a face plate provided with a vertical slot, a coin chut-e terminating above said slot, a coin actuated plunger member in cooperative relation to said slot and chute, a rotatable shaft having arms adapted to pass through said slot in cooperative relation to said plunger member, means for preventing the rearward rotation of said shaft and means for locking said plunger member as against the forward rotation of said shaft when no coin is played.

3. A vending machine, comprising a casing, a face plate provided with a vertical slot, a coin guide member, a plunger member provided with guide slots and projecting in front of said slot, a rotatable shaft having arms adapted to be project-ed through said slot and to engage said plunger member when no coin is played, guide pins cooperating with said guide slots for locking said plunger member as against actuation by said arms and for releasing the same when a coin is played, and means for preventing the rearward movement of said shaft.

4. A vending machine, comprising a casing, a rotatable shaft provided with coin engaging arms, a coin chute carried by said casing and terminating in a face plate provided with a vertical coin arm receiving slot, a coin guide member on said plate at the side of said slot, a coin actuated plunger member extending in front of said slot and provided with guide slots, guide pins eX- tending,` through and coperating With said guide slots for locking said plunger member as against direct actuation by said engaging arms, and means for manually rotating said rotatable shaft.

In testimony whereof I have afxed my slgnature in presence of two Witnesses.

THEODORE B. TERTELING.-

W'it-nesses FELIX A. DoE'rsoH, ALEXANDER K. GAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D, C. 

